Barbecue machine



Nov. 14, 1939..

M. P SPARTALIS 2,179,646

BARBECUE MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 4, 1935 IN VENTQRMichael R SprZ'aZw BY W 474 Nov. 14, 1939. P s L s 2.179.646

BARBECUE MACHINE Original Filed May 4, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7? 39 .57'43 Michael Pat 22%??? J2 W W w 7 y A A 0K NE Y5 y 1939 M. P. SPARTALISBARBECUE MACHINE Original Filed May 4, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTORchad Q dr lis TORNE Y5 Nov. 14, 1939. sPARTALls 2,179,646

BARBECUE MACHINE Original Filed May 4, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORtime? )2 Spariifi Patented Nov. 14, 1939 PATENT OFFICE BARBECUE MACHINEMichael P. Spar-tails, St. Paul, Minn, assignor of twenty per cent toNick Chiomes and twenty per cent to J. P. J. Dolan, both of St. Paul,Min, and twenty per cent to Constantine M.

Rallis, oi Minneapo lis, Minn., and forty per cent to Athena M.Spartalis Application May 4, 1935, Serial No. 19,829 Renewed October 13,1938 13 Claims.

It is an object of this invention to provide, particularly, although notexclusively, for restaurants and other public eating places, a novelmachine wherein meats and other foods may be broiled or barbecued whilebeing displayed in an attractive manner.

Another object is to provide a novel broiler having an improvedarrangement of heating units and conveyors for individual portions offood.

A further object is to provide in a broiler chamber a multiplicity ofholders for food and simple and emcient mechanism for turning suchholders in the heat zone in such manner that thorough and uniformbroiling of the food is insured while a minimum of attention to themachine is required.

A particular object is to provide a cooking chamber with a novelarrangement of heating units and food conveying mechanism whereby thefood may be given preliminary heat treatment as well as the searing orbroiling treatment, and the mechanism is adapted for the preparation ofcertain Asiatic dishes known as revettes.

Other objects are to provide food conveying mechanism which is readilyremovable from the cooking chamber for cleaning and is so constructedthat the drippings from the food do not interfere with efilcientoperation.

In its preferred embodiments herein described, the improved barbecuingor broiling machine incorporates an annular rotary conveyer whichcarries a circumferentially spaced series of outer food holders that areindividually mounted for rotary movement on axes parallel to the axis ofthe rotary conveyor. A central food holder or supporting element extendsaxially of the conveyer into or through the plane of food carried by theseveral carriers of the annular series thereof. This central foodsupporting element, in one of its two forms illustrated, is in thenature of a stem-like skewer that is adapted to have a roast or the likeimpaled thereon to be supported thereby in the plane of such, usuallysmall, food articles as may be individually carried by the holders ofthe series. In this embodiment of the invention, the space between theannular series of food holders and the center holders is open orunobstructed, and a plurality of heating elements are circumferentiallyspaced radially outward of the circular space defined by the annularseries of food holders and are arranged to direct their heat rays towardthe center food holder and in the plane of food carried thereby and theseries of holders.

A particular object of the instant invention is the uniform subjection,in an arrangement of the kind just described, of all portions of each ofthe several food articles carried by the several holders of the annularseries and all portions of the article or articles carried by the centerfood holder, to direct radiation of the heating means. In an arrangementof this kind the accomplishment of this objection, insofar as foodarticles carried by the annular series of holders is concerned, is fullyand readily obtained by rotating the rotary conveyer on its own axis soas to bring the said annular series of holders thereof successivelypassed the heating means while at the same time individually rotatingthe several holders of the series on their own axes, but to accomplishthe stated objective with respect to food carried by the center holderor support, it is necessary not only to rotate the center food holder orsupport with respect to the heating means but it is further necessary toprovide a relative rotation therebetween and the annular conveyer. Thisrelative rotation is necessary by reason of the fact that the carriersof the annular series and food carried thereby intercept some of theheat rays directed toward the the center food holder and cast heat rayshadows on the food articles carried by the center food holder; whereas,some of the heat rays'pass between the food holders of the annularseries directly to the centrally located food. Of course, these shadowswould tend to cause uneven treatment of the food on the center foodholder if they were permitted to remain stationary with respect thereto,but in the preferred embodiment illustrated and above described, theadverse effects of these shadows are overcome by the relative rotationdescribed, and which relative rotation is the result of rotating theconveyer and central food holder in the same direction but at differentspeeds through a novel drive mechanism including planetary transmissionelements.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferredform of my machine:

Figure 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1, with theupper conveying ring in place on the spindle;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the machine with the upperring in place;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line fl i of Fig- 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line'55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a part side elevation and part section taken on the line 8-8of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a part section and part side elevation showing one of the foodholders on the upper 8;

Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the machine;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through one of the heating units, and

Fig. 10 is a part plan view and part horizontal section through theadjustable ventilator.

The machine has an oven or heat chamber provided with a top l2, sidewalls l8 and bottom l4. The chamber is preferably eight-sided, asindicated in Figs. 2 and 4 and at one side a door I 5 is provided toallow access to the interior. This door is glazed to afford a view ofthe interior and 5 three of the other sides have large windows l8mounted therein to allow the contents to be viewed for display andvending purposes. The walls l8 and top l2 contain heat insulatingmaterial |1 preferably enclosed within metal inner and outer casings, asillustrated. The top I2 is similarly insulated and is preferably maderemovable as indicated in Fig. 8. The interior of the machine isilluminated by a lamp |8, Figs. 2 and 8, provided with a reflector l8.

An electric motor 28 is mounted on one side of the machine and isarranged to drive a horizontal shaft 2| through speed reducing gears ina casing 22 mounted on the end of the motor. As shown in Fig. 3, theshaft 2| is supported on a bracket 28 depending from the bottom |4.Operatively connected to the shaft 2| by bevel gears 24 is a verticalshaft 25 mounted in a bearing 28 located centrally in the bottom l4. Acollar 21 is fixed on the upper end of the shaft 24 and removably keyedto this collar is a head 28 provided with arms 29 for propelling a ring88. Pins 8| project from the top of the ring 88 to be engaged by thearms 29. Each of these arms 28 together with the head 28 constitutes adriving element that spans the radial space between the power drivenshaft and the conveyor ring and is rotatively anchored to said shaft andconveyer. The head 28 has a central recess to receive the collar 21 anda laterally extending lug 82 is formed on the bottom of the head toengage in a keyway or cross slot in the upper face of the collar.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the ring 88 has a conical lower and outersurface 88 which rests upon a multiplicity of rollers 84 formed withupper conical portions 85 to flt the surface 88. The rollers 84 aremounted at regular spaced intervals on a conveyor ring formed with upperand lower horizontal flanges 88 and 81 respectively between which therollers 84 are mounted. Web portions 88 of the conveyor ring connect theflanges 88 and 81 together. Secured axially in each roller 84 is a pin89 revolubly fitting in a bearing in the flange 81. At its upper endeach roller is formed with an axial socket 48 fitting in a bearing inthe flange 86. As best shown in Fig. 6, the sockets 48 are formed toreceive holders 4| for individual portions of food. The holdersillustrated have spring prongs 42 to embrace, grip or be thrust into theportion of meat or other food to be cooked. Ordinary skewers or othersuitable holders may be substituted for those illustrated.

Mounted concentrically to the ring 88 and circular conveyor is acircular track 48 adapted to continuously support all of the rollers 84.The inner and upper surface 44 of the track 48 is conical to conform toconical surfaces 45 formed on the rollers 84. To insure frictionalengagement of all of the. rollers 84 with the track 48, limited axialmovement of the individual rollers on their supports is permitted, asindicated by the ample space 48 (Figs. and 6) between the rollers andthe upper flange 88. The circular track 48 is removably supported onblocks 41, one of which has a pin 48 (Figs. 3 and 4) projectingtherefrom to engage in a recess in the track. The blocks 41 are securedto the bottom M.

A shaft 48 is arranged to be mounted centrally in the heating chamber,in continuation of the shaft 25. The lower end of the shaft 48 rests onthe head 28 and is centered thereon by a stud 58 projecting axially fromsaid head into a socket in the lower end of the shaft. A laterallyextending lug 5| fits in a groove in the shaft 48 to establish thedriving connection. The upper end of the shaft 49 has an anti-frictionbearing in a bracket 52 supported by arms 58 and 54 extending to theside walls of the chamber. These arms are supported in recesses in theupper ends of metal casings 55 for the heating units hereinafterdescribed. As shown in Fig. 2, the arm 54 has a laterally bent end 58 toengage the casing 55 so that no arm is required at the opposite side ofthe bracket 52 where a clear space is required to facilitate removal ofthe mechanism from the chamber. Removably secured to the upper end ofthe shaft 49 is a head 51 having radially projecting arms 58 forsupporting an upper conveyor ring 58. The outer ends of the arms 58 arebent upward to confine the ring 59 concentrically to the shaft 49.Mounted on the ring 58 are a multiplicity of sockets 88 for foodholders, such, for example, as the holders 4| shown in Fig. 7.

The upper conveying ring 58 may be removed by merely lifting it togetherwith the head 51 and arms 58 from the upper end of the shaft 48, thentilting the parts into the space afforded obliquely to the front of thearms 58 (Fig. 2) and withdrawing them through the opening for the doorl5. The bearing bracket 52 is also readily removable, together with theshaft 49, from the heating chamber. When it is desired to broil largeportions of food or a roast, a large skewer 8| (Fig. 1) is substitutedfor the shaft 48 on the head 28. The lower end of the skewer 8| isformed to receive the stud 58 and to be engaged by the cross lug 5| forrotating the food held by the skewer. roast and individual portions offood are collected on the bottom M which is dish-shaped and providedwith drainage openings 82. A receptacle (not shown) is placed beneaththe machine to catch'the juices escaping through the openings 82.

Four burners or heating units are disposed symmetrically on the walls ofthe cooking chamber.

The heating units are confined in the casings 55 and comprise gasburners 88 adapted to heat refractory material 64 having open grillformations at the front from which. the heat passes into the cookingchamber. This refractory material is preferably made in sections, asindicated in Figs. 3 and 4, and is removable from the front or innerside of the casings 55. As showh in the bottom view, Fig. 8, the burners88 are supplied with gas through branches 85 of pipes 88. The latterpipes are, in turn, supplied through control cocks 88 on a main gas pipe81. To facilitate ignition of the main gas burners, automatic lightercocks 88 are provided on the pipe 81 to control the supply of gasthrough pipes 18 extending to lighter burners 1| (Figs. 3 and 8).

As shown in Figs. 8 and 10, a ventilator open- The juices from the a ingII in the top I 2 communicates with two passages ll, circular in crosssection. A slidable closure 14 consisting of a flat plate, with anopening therein to register with one. of the passages 5 ll, is operableby a handle II (Figs. 1 and to adjust the ventilator opening. Theclosure '14 is guided in a casing I! and the top of this casing isformed with a multiplicity of louver openings ll. To control the motor2., a suitable electric 10 switch 18 is provided.

The heating units or elements 83 are, as will be apparent from thedrawings, arranged to direct their heat rays toward the center skewer Sior shaft 49 and are so vertically located that food articles carriedboth by the series of holders 42 and the center skewer it will be inthe-zone of direct radiation from the heating elements.

Operation in operation the motor 20 drives the shaft 2| through thespeed reducin'g gears in casing 22 at a suitably low speed. Individualportions of meat or other foods are placed on skewers or in the holdersti and secured thereby in the axial sockets it in the rollers 43, or inthe sockets til oi the upper ring ht. With the burners ti in operationthe portions oi food are carried through heat cones of variousmmperatures and those portions, carried by the lower ring conveyor 3%are constantly rotated about vertical axes as well as traversed aroundthe horizontal, circular track ti. Rotary movement is transmitted fromthe central, vertical shaft 2% to the head it carrying the arms 2% andthe outer ends of said arms en-= gage the pins ill to rotate the ringtit. This ring irlctionally rotates the rollers it by engagement withthe upper conical portions 3t: thereof. Rotation of the rollers ticauses the ring 36 to be rotated by the frictional track M. I insurecontinuous rotation of all of the rollers by providing the limited axialmovement of each roller in its bearing in the flanges and 311 so that itfinds its seat on the track t3 independently of the other rollers andirrespective of particles of food which may lodge on the track &3 or ofany slight imperiections in the parts of the mechanism caused by theheat or in the manufacturing operation. Thus each of the holders M isrotated about its vertical axis while the ring he carrying all of theholders is traversed around the track it.

Where the upper ring 59 is used this is rotated by the shaft th in axialcontinuation of the shaft it and the individual portions of food carriedby the holders on this upper ring are moved in the upper portion of thechamber where the heat is less intense and where rotation of theindividual portions is unnecessary. In preparing certain dishes, such asthe Asiatic revettes, individual portions of meat are first placed inthe holders or skewers on the upper ring til for a sumcient period togive the desired preliminary heat treatment and then the portions areremoved from the machine, immersed in a batter and then placed for afinal broiling period in the lower conveyor ring it.

When the upper ring as is not required, this ring, the shaft is, bracket52 and arms 53 and M are removed from the heating chamber. The largeskewers 6i may be mounted centrally, in place of the shaft it, to hold alarge roast. Such roast may be broiled while revolving on the head itand individual portions of food may be simultaneously broiled on therevolving supports carried by the ring it. The intensity of the heat inthe chamber may be controlled by suitable operation of the ventilatorhandle I. as well as by the gas cocks II. Obviously electric or othersuitable types of heating units may be substituted for the 1 gas burnersdescribed herein.

and separated into readily accessible members for cleaning. The rollerfriction drive for the individual portions of food also promotessanitation and continued emcient operation by reason of the fact that itis simple and easy to keep clean and in working order.

Now assuming that a large roast, for example, has been impaled upon thecenter holder 8i and a plurality of smaller food articles such as fowlor revettes, for example, are individually supported by the holders 4!oi the outer annular series thereof, it will be evident that some of theheat rays directed toward the food on the center holder or skewer M willbe intercepted by the food particles carried by the food holders M,which latter will cause shadows upon the centrally located food asearlier described. its made apparent before, however, all detrimentaleffects of these shadows will be overcome by the relative ro= tationbetween the conveyer ring ht and the center skewer ti. By reference tothe drawingsp it will be evident that while the conveyer ring ltd willrotate in the same direction as the skewer ti or the shaft M, the saidconveyer ring will rotate at a reduced speed with respect to the centerskewer and by virtue of the diflerences in circumference between theannular roller engaging surface of thedrlve ring 3d and track til.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a cooking chamber, spacedheating units mounted in circumferentially spaced relation within saidchamber and directing heat rays toward the center thereof, a relativelyfixed substantially horizontal annular track disposed inwardly of saidspaced heating units, a carrierring having a circumferentially spacedseries of roller-like drive elements revolvably mounted thereon withtheir axes vertical and their outer peripheral portions in operativeengagement with said track, a pinrality of vertically disposed foodsupports each carried by and projecting from one of said roller"- likedrive elements, an annular drive ring in driving" engagement with theinner peripheral portions of said series of drive elements and openativeunder rotation to cause said drive elements to roll around the fixedtrack and move the food supports carried thereby past the spaced heatingunits while rotating the same on their own axes, vertically disposedpower driven means located axially of said track and drive ring, acenter food support carried by the power driven means for commonrotation therewith and projecting vertically therefrom into the zone ofradiation of said spaced heating units, and drive means extendingbetween and operatively engaging said axial drive means and drive ringand driving the latter in common with the former.

2. In a device of the kind described, a rotary conveyer carrying acircumferentially spaced series of food holders arranged concentricallywith respect to and radially outward oi' the axis of the rotaryconveyer, an inner rotary food holder located within the circular spacedefined by the circumferentially spaced series of food holders,

means for rotating said rotary conveyer and inner food holdersimultaneously but at different speeds, and heating means locatedoutside of said rotary conveyer and arranged to direct heat rays towardsaid inner food holder.

8. In a device of the kind described, a cooking chamber, a rotaryconveyer concentrically arranged with respect to said cooking chamberand carrying a circumferentlally spaced series of food holders disposedinward of the inner walls of said chamber and circumferentially of butradially outward or the axis of the rotary conveyer, and an inner rotaryfood holder located within the circular space defined by thecircumferentially spaced series of food holders, means for rotating saidrotary conveyer and inner food holder simultaneously but at differentspeeds, and heating means located adjacent the inner wall of saidcooking chamber radially outward of said rotary conveyer and arranged todirect heat rays toward said inner food holder.

4. In a device of the class described, a rotary conveyer, acircumferentially spaced series of food holders journaled on said rotaryconveyer inconcentric relation with respect to the axis of the rotaryconveyer, an inner rotary food holder located within the circular spacedefined by the circumferentially spaced series of food holders, heatingmeans located radially outward of the circumferentially spaced series offood holders and arranged to direct rays toward said inner food holder,and means for simultaneously rotating said rotary conveyer and innerfood holder while at the same time rotating the food holders of saidseries on their own axes.

5. The structure defined in claim 4 in which said inner food holder isrotated at a different rate of speed than said rotary conveyer.

6. In a device of the kind described, a cooking chamber, a rotaryconveyer concentrically arranged with respect to the cooking chamber, acircumferentially spaced series of food holders journaled on the rotaryconveyer in'concentric relation with respect to the axis of theconveyer, an inner rotary food holder located within the circular spacedefined by the circumferentially spaced series of food holders, heatingmeans located radially outward of the circumferentially spaced series offood holders and arranged to direct heat rays toward said inner foodholders, and means for simultaneously rotating said rtary conveyer andinner food holder while at the same time rotating the food holders ofsaid series thereof on their own axes.

7. The structure defined in claim 6 in which said food holder isrotating at a different rate of speed than said rotary conveyer;

8. In a device of the class described, a' vertically disposed powerdriven shaft, an annular to said annular rotary conveyer for rotatingsaid conveyer from said shaft.

9. The structure defined in claim 8 in further combination with a centervertically disposed food holder co-axial with said power driven shaftand disposed within the circular space formed by the circumferentiallyspaced series of food holders. 10. In a device of the kind described, anannular track, an annular conveyer concentric with said annular track, acircumferentially spaced series of planetary drive elements journaled onsaid annular conveyer and rotatively engaging said annular track, theaxes of said planetary drive elements being parallel to the axis of saidannular track, an annular driving ring rotatively engaging saidplanetary drive elements, food holders carried by and projecting axiallyfrom said planetary drive elements and common movements therewith, adrive shaft co-axial with said track and ring, and at least one drivingarm projecting radially from said shaft and operatively engaging saidring, an inner food holder removably carried by said drive shaftsubstantially co-axial therewith, said inner food holder being disposedin the plane of the annular series of food holders and the annular spaceradially between said inner food holder and the annular series of foodholders being open, and heating means disposed radially outward of theannular series of food holders in the plane of the several food holdersand arranged to direct its rays toward said inner food holders.

11. In a device of the class described, a vertically disposed powerdriven shaft, an annular conveyer concentrically arranged with respectto said shaft, a circumferentially spaced series of food supportsvertically journaled on said annular conveyer and projecting thereabove,means for rotatively supporting said conveyer, and rotatively drivingsaid series of circumferentially spaced food holders on their own axesunder rotation of the rotary conveyer, said means including at least one.arm radially projecting from said power driven shaft and operativelycoupled to said annular rotary conveyer for rotating said conveyer fromsaid shaft,- in further combination with a center vertically disposedfood holder co-axial with said power driven shaft and disposed withinthe circular space formed by the circumferentially spaced series of foodholders.

12. In a device of the class described, a vertically disposed powerdriven shaft, an annular conveyer concentrically arranged with respectto said shaft, a circumferentially spaced series of food supportsvertically journaled on said annular conveyer and projecting thereabove,means independent of said shaft for rotatively supporting said conveyer,means for rotatively driving said conveyer series of circumferentiallyspaced food holders on their own axes under rotation of the rotaryconveyer, and means for driving said conveyer from said shaft, said lastnamed means including a driving element spanning the radial spacebetween the shaft and rotary conveyer and rotatively anchored to eachthereof.

13. The structure defined in claim 12 in further combination with acenter vertically dis posed food holder co-axial with said power drivenshaft and disposed within the circular space formed by thecircumferentially spaced series 'of food holders.

MICHAEL P. SPARTALIS.

